One of Newport’s Architectural Treasures
BUILT: 1762
WASHINGTON SQUARE

A photograph depicting the Daniel E. Sullivan Shop (Brick Market) at the corner of Thames Street and Long Wharf. P1195, Collection of the Newport Historical Society.
On July 24, 1760, the Proprietors of the Long Wharf deeded a plot of land at the bottom of Queen Anne (now Washington) Square to the town of Newport for the construction of a market house.[1] The Proprietors of the Long Wharf was a group created in the 1680s by local men with mercantile interests looking to promote commerce in the Newport colony; the erection of a market house fulfilled that founding principle.[2] Martin Howard (1725-1781), Josias Lyndon (1704-1778), Henry Collins (1699-1764), and Joseph Bell (unknown at this time) were appointed as a committee to work with architect Peter Harrison (1716-1775) on the project, and the Proprietors estimated the cost of the project to be about £24,000, which is $6,182,625.44 in today’s money.[3] Construction on the foundation began in 1762, as did a rapid accumulation of debt. The committee had to finance the roofing of the building themselves due to the dire financial situation. By 1764, the upper floors were nowhere near complete, and by 1766, the floor still had not been laid.[4] The issue of funding was paramount, as the building was originally funded by a public lottery, but this lottery does not appear to have been substantial or sufficient. Henry Collins died in 1764, and Martin Howard, a staunch British loyalist, fled Newport in 1765 because of increasing animosity toward British sympathizers due to the Stamp Act. Peter Harrison left both the project and Rhode Island behind in 1766 due to his own British loyalties. The reduction of the original committee from five men to two potentially contributed to further delays.[5]
In 1771, Daniel Holloway, Oliver Ring Warren, Isaac Lawton, and Robert Stevens were ordered by the Town Council to finish the construction, and the Brick Market finally opened its doors a year later, in December 1772.[6] As the Proprietors stipulated in their grant, the bottom floor was an open-air market house with vendor stalls and benches available to rent, and the upper floors were to be rented out as offices or storage space. Initially, the goal was for the Brick Market to become a public granary for the town. While it appears that dry goods were indeed stored and sold on the premises, an official granary never materialized. Another stipulation of the grant was that the bottom floor market was only to be used as such, excepting the need to establish a watchhouse on the property, which was situated “in the rear part of the building, on the lower floor.”[7] A watchhouse was an early iteration of a police station and jail, making its location at the center of commerce both logical and convenient.
The Brick Market sits on a 66ft by 33ft lot with a seven-bay by three-bay exterior. The building itself is an amalgamation of Italian and British architectural influences, with Peter Harrison deriving his design from the likes of Inigo Jones’s Somerset and Royal Banqueting Houses, along with Andrea Palladio’s incredible portfolio of architectural design.[8] Harrison modified his plans to suit the landscape and materials available to him, and therefore utilized brick instead of stone for the building’s construction as well as the Ionic order of architectural design instead of the Corinthian order. Corinthian design is characterized by opulence, grandeur, and intricate detail while Ionic design is described as understated elegance and sophistication.[9] Though considered the simpler design of the two, Ionic columns are defined by decorative scrolls or volumes on the capital or top of the column.[10] The exterior of the Brick Market is widely considered as one of Peter Harrison’s greatest triumphs, and one of the best standing examples of colonial architecture in Newport today.[11]
The first advertisement found for the leasing of rooms in the Brick Market appeared in a 1774 publication of the Newport Mercury.[12] The Revolutionary War and British occupation stunted the initial success of the Brick Market, as the first found vendor advertisement does not appear in the Mercury until 1781.[13] The vendor, Henry Dayton, may not have even sold his “shipping furs” inside the actual building, but rather “against the Brick Market.”[14] While nothing has yet been recovered about the tenants of the open-air market on the bottom floor in the years after the Revolution, the upper floors housed a printing office and a school.[15] Book-binding and glazing businesses in the Brick Market were advertised in 1792, and 1793, respectively.[16]

Advertisement for a performance of Richard III at the Old Theater in Brick Market. Several of Shakespeare’s plays were performed for the first time in New England at the Old Theater. Ms.133 BRO-2, collection of the Newport Historical Society.
1793 was a major year for the Brick Market as the upper floors of the building were leased to Joseph Harper and Alexander Placide for the construction of a theater. The men proposed to make considerable alterations to the very structure of the interior, but Placide agreed to undertake these renovations at his own expense. He was “permitted to enlarge the passageway about 10ft, by running up a partition from the first floor.”[17] Harper & Placide combined the upper floors to create a space for a stage, box seating, pit seating, and gallery seating which was balcony or mezzanine seating. The Old Theater, as it was known, had a seating capacity of about 250 people.[18] Though Placide’s lease ended in 1799, Joseph Harper and Charles Stuart Powell, another major player in the performing arts, continued to use the Old Theater into the early 1800s, with performances becoming more sporadic as time passed. Other performers, unrelated to Harper and Powell, also used the space, but not on a regular basis. A letter from Polly Wightman to her brother in 1798 reveals that a “Monsieur Addincourt” was planning to open a coffee house in the Brick Market.[19] An 1878 article in the Newport Mercury on theatre in early America mentions William Adincourt as the “keeper of the box book of the Newport theatre, [who] had once been, I have reason to believe, Rochambeau’s commissary.”[20] The writer does not support this claim in the article but goes on to describe M. Adincourt’s coffee house and evening school for French language learners as “near the theatre, at the entrance of the Long Wharf.”[21] The exact location of the coffee house may be in question, but a few key events at the turn of the century are not. In 1801, the town treasurer was instructed to build a stall on the South side of the market for the use of “country people,” and have the Brick Market whitewashed on the inside.[22] In the historical record, many vendors who rented stalls or benches at the Brick Market were butchers or fishmongers, and the market regulations stipulated that their stalls must be cleaned three times a week, so the whitewashing was likely ordered to keep the space as sanitary as possible.
The next major changes made to the Brick Market came in 1842, when it was voted that the Old Theater be altered into a Town Hall and the project was given a budget of $1,000 to complete the work.[23] A man identified only as Mr. Douglas superintended the project, and renovations were completed by May 1842. A newspaper article about the finished project mentions that “as soon as the small buildings standing on the Town’s land on the south side of the Market are removed, the entrance on that side will be thrown open.”[24] Perhaps one of these “small buildings” was the stall erected in 1801 to house “country people” coming to do business at the Brick Market. The reconfigured Town Hall, which had an enlarged seating capacity of 500 people, was used for various events, such as public meetings, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and speeches. The final cost of the alterations was $2,100, double the amount initially allocated for this project.[25] In 1843, the committee in charge of these renovations was directed to purchase a bell for the building, but it was not procured until December 1860 and broke just months later in August of 1861.[26] The bell was eventually moved to the police station in 1866.[27]
The Brick Market operated as Town Hall until 1853, when the upper floors were converted into City Hall, or what is referred to today as Old City Hall. The lower floor of the building remained in use as a meat and fish market as well as a watchhouse until 1855, when a portion of the lower floor was converted into a City Clerk’s office.[28] By 1864-1865, the entirety of the Brick Market was being used for City Hall purposes.[29] The balcony was removed from the upper floor, and the lower floor was converted into offices. Vendors such as Wanton T. Sherman were asked to vacate the premises so that a fireproof vault for probate records might be built for the use of the City Clerk.[30] Discussions about building a new City Hall began in the 1880s, but the realization of these plans did not come until 1900-1910.[31]

Photograph courtesy of Matthrew Lanni, 2022.
Whether city officials moved to New City Hall immediately or if the process was more incremental, ending in 1910, is unclear. The order of tenants from 1900-1928 is likewise unclear. What can be gleaned from pictures is that a business with an “Old City Hall Novelty Shop” sign was operating at one time in the Brick Market, and at another time, an “Old City Hall Hardware Co.” was operational.[32] However, Daniel E. Sullivan was indisputably the last official tenant of the Brick Market before its next major restoration.[33] Sullivan’s shop sold a myriad of goods, including hardware and souvenirs, so it is possible that the previous two shops were also Daniel Sullivan’s, and that he merely changed the exterior signage over time.[34] Even though Sullivan’s shop continued to operate until 1926-1927, the condition of the building troubled some key individuals in the interim. William Sumner Appleton, founder of what is now Historic New England, had his eye on the Brick Market as a potential restoration project for a while when, in 1914, he enlisted Norman Morrison Isham to produce a report on the building’s condition, which Isham completed in 1916.[35] Daniel Sullivan declared bankruptcy in either 1926 or 1927, and related legal proceedings commenced.
In March of 1928, John Nicholas Brown II’s proposal to take over the lease of Old City Hall and restore the building was accepted by the city. Before any work could commence, city officials had to find a way to remove Mr. Michael Leary, who had acquired the surplus of goods left by Sullivan and was conducting his own sale on the premises.[36] The City was able to take possession of the building soon after, and Brown engaged Norman Isham for the restoration that summer. J.J. Deveney of L.D. Willcutt & Sons, the construction company chosen by Brown, estimated the project would cost $9,000-10,000.[37] Brown decided to start with the exterior, and he wished that “…all new work shall follow accurately the design of the old.”[38] The exterior work ended in October of 1929, costing $13,754.86 in total.[39] Desiring not to undertake the interior restoration until a future tenant for the building was decided, Brown made a deal with the City to complete the restoration if they leased the Brick Market to the Chamber of Commerce for a low cost.[40] After mitigating a few obstacles, the project was completed by the end of 1930 at a cost of $42,719.82.[41] The Chamber of Commerce occupied the building until 1960-1961, and the Brick Market was again repurposed into “Newport Crafts & Restoration.”[42] The Brick Market was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1967-1969.

The restoration of the Brick Market building in 1991- 1992, under the auspices of the Brick Market Foundation. 2019.024.001, Collections of the Newport Historical Society.
The building once again fell into disrepair in the 1970s-1980s. To address this, The Brick Market Foundation was established in 1989 with Ralph E. Carpenter, Jr. as president, and Ronald Dick as Vice President. Like John Nicholas Brown II before them, Carpenter and Dick wanted the building to have a purpose before renovations commenced, so they partnered with the Newport Historical Society to restore the Brick Market into a museum and exhibit space.[43] Irving B. Haynes and Daniel Paquette led the restoration efforts which took two years and cost $1.2 million dollars to complete. An underground geothermal heating and cooling system was installed during this process.[44] Mounting the exhibit would take another year and cost approximately $500,000.
The Museum of Newport History at the Brick Market officially opened in early December of 1993 and the Brick Market Foundation signed a letter of agreement with the Newport Historical Society for thirty years for the leasing and operation of the Brick Market as a museum and gift shop.
Owned by the City of Newport and managed by the NHS, the Brick Market Building is now home to the Museum of Newport History and Shop.
Research by Jenny Sullivan, 2024 Buchanan-Burnham Summer Scholar in Public History.
[1] “Long Wharf, Deed, 1760,” 2765, Newport Historical Society; Norman Morrison Isham, “The Old Brick Market or Old City Hall” (1916): 6.
[2] John R. Tschirch, “Mapping the Newport Experience: A History of the City’s Urban Development,” http://johnstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NHSMapping-NewportEssay_2.pdf.
[3] Peterson’s History of Rhode Island cited in the appendix of Isham’s “The Old Brick Market or Old City Hall”; Isham, “The Old Brick Market or Old City Hall,” 6; Eric W. Nye, Pounds Sterling to Dollars: Historical Conversion of Currency, accessed Wednesday, July 31, 2024, https://www.uwyo.edu/numimage/currency.htm.
[4] US Department of the Interior National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form (The Brick Market)” (1969): 3.
[5] Brick Market Foundation Board of Directors, “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market); Ross Cann, “Newport Architecture Spotlight: The Old Brick Market,” https://a4arch.com/newport-architecture-spotlight-the-old-brick-market/.
[6] “Copy of Town Meeting Records,” MS.128.015, Newport Historical Society.
[7] Henry Bull, Memoir of Rhode Island & “Records of the Proprietor of Long Wharf,” cited in the appendix of Isham’s “The Old Brick Market or Old City Hall.”
[8] US Department of the Interior National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form (The Brick Market),” 3; Ross Cann, “Newport Architecture Spotlight: The Old Brick Market,” https://a4arch.com/newport-architecture-spotlight-the-old-brick-market/.
[9] “Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian Columns: The Pillars of Elegance,” The Architect’s Diary, last modified February 6, 2024, https://thearchitectsdiary.com/doric-ionic-and-corinthian-columns-the-pillars-of-elegance/.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ross Cann, “A4 Architecture Spotlight: The History and Urban Importance of Newport’s Long Wharf,” https://a4arch.com/a4-architecture-spotlight-the-history-and-urban-importance-of-long-wharf/.
[12] Newport Mercury, February 21, 1774.
[13] Newport Daily News, November 29, 1993, “History Lesson,” by R.E. Reimer.
[14] Newport Mercury, June 30, 1781.
[15] Newport Mercury, May 15, 1784; US Department of the Interior National Park Service, “National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form (The Brick Market),” 4.
[16] Newport Mercury, April 30, 1792; Newport Mercury, April 8, 1793.
[17] Town Council Book, May 21, 1793.
[18] Newport Mercury, May 2, May 9, and May 16, 1885; “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market).
[19] “Letter from Polly Wightman to her brother concerning Brick Market theatre, 1798,” 5088, Newport Historical Society.
[20] Newport Mercury, February 23, 1878.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Town Meeting Records, April 22 & June 13, 1801.
[23] The Rhode Islander, January 12, 1842.
[24] The Rhode Islander, May 18, 1842.
[25] “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market); The Rhode Islander, May 18, 1842.
[26] Town Meeting Book, 1831-1843, February 1, 1843; Newport Mercury, August 17, 1861.
[27] Newport Mercury, November 10, 1866.
[28] The Rhode Islander, April 22, 1845; Newport Mercury, July 1, 1865.
[29] “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market).
[30] Newport Mercury, April 8, May 6, and July 1, 1865.
[31] “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market).
[32] Newport Historical Society, Old City Hall Novelty Shop, 91.29.5 & P1197; Old City Hall Hardware Co., FIC.2020.104.
[33] Newport Herald, September 29, 1928.
[34] Newport Historical Society, Daniel E. Sullivan’s shop, P291, 2009.3.55, 92.58.1, P1198, P4262.
[35] Archipedia New England, “The Brick Market,” http://www.archipedianewengland.org/the-brick-market/; Letter from William Sumner Appleton to John Nicholas Brown II, September 26, 1928, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[36] The Newport Journal and Weekly News, March 23, 1928.
[37] Letter from J.J. Deveney to John Nicholas Brown II, August 20, 1928, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[38] Letter from John Nicholas Brown II to J.J. Deveney, September 11, 1928, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[39] Letter from J.J. Deveney to John Nicholas Brown II, October 16, 1929, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[40] Letter from John Nicholas Brown II to J.J. Deveney, March 31, 1930, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[41] Letter from J.J. Deveney to John Nicholas Brown II, November 24, 1930, John Nicholas Brown II papers, Box 105, Folder 15, Ms.2007.012, John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence RI.
[42] Newport Historical Society, 2019.006.024.
[43] Newport Daily News, November 29, 1993, “History Lesson,” by R.E. Reimer.
[44] Brick Market Foundation Board of Directors, “Nine Lives of the Brick Market.” (in file with correspondence about the HVAC system in Brick Market); Newport Daily News, January 27, 1992, “New Brick market to house city’s past” by Mary T. Harrington.